The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
The Revolution Begins
Preview
• Starting Points Map
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Causes of the Revolution
• Quick Facts: Causes of the Revolution
• First Events of the Revolution
• Creating a New Nation
The French Revolution and Napoleon
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Section 1
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
The Revolution Begins
Main Idea
Problems in French society led to a revolution, the formation of a
new government, and the end of the monarchy.
Reading Focus
• What caused the French Revolution?
• What happened during the first events of the Revolution?
• How did the French create a new nation?
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
Causes of the Revolution
Long-standing resentments against the monarchy
• Inequalities in society
– Existing social and political structure
– Called the Old Order, or ancient régime
• King at the top and estates under him
– King Louis XVI, shy and indecisive
– Unpopular, self-indulgent queen, Marie-Antoinette
– Rest of French society divided into three classes,
called estates
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
The Three Estates (Social Classes)
Varied widely in what they contributed in terms of work and taxes
First Estate
Second Estate
• Roman Catholic clergy
• Nobility
• One percent of the
population
• Less than 2 percent of
the population
• Exempt from taxes
• Paid few taxes
• Owned 10 percent of
the land
– Collected rents and
fees
– Bishops and other
clergy grew wealthy
• Controlled much wealth
• Held key positions
– Government
– Military
• Lived on country
estates
Third Estate
• Largest group—97% of
the population
• Bourgeoisie—citydwelling merchants,
factory owners, and
professionals
• Sans culottes—
artisans and workers
• Peasants—poor with
little hope, paid rents
and fees
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
Further Causes
Enlightenment Ideas
An Economic Crisis
• Inspiring new ideas from
Enlightenment philosophers
• Severe economic problems
affected much of the country
• Great Britain’s government
limiting the king’s power
• France in debt, spending
lavishly, borrowing money, and
facing bankruptcy
• American colonists rebelled
successfully against British king
• New ideas changed
government and society in other
countries
• Hailstorm and drought ruined
harvest; harsh winter limited
flour production
• People hungry and angry;
clergy and nobility no help
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
Summarize
What were the causes of the French
Revolution?
Answer(s):S.E.E
S - Social Classes (inequalities in society)
E - Enlightenment ideas
E – Economic Crisis
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
• Now on the back of your notes, you are
going to create explanations and
interactions for the THREE MAIN
CAUSES of the French Revolution. You
are to write out each cause, explain what it
is in your own words, and draw a picture
that represents it.
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
First Events of the Revolution
By 1789, no group happy
Estates General meets
• Clergy and nobility lost power to
monarchy
• Bourgeoisie resented
regulations
• Desire for reforms
• Voting process a problem
• Third Estate proclaimed
themselves National Assembly
• Poor worse off
• Tennis Court Oath
Storming of the Bastille
• King brought in troops
• People of Paris armed
themselves
• Searching for weapons, a mob
stormed the Bastille
Great Fear spread
• King to punish the Third Estate
with foreign soldiers
• Rumors of massacres
• Peasants destroyed records
and burned nobles’ houses
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
Identify Cause and Effect
What was the connection between
the fall of the Bastille and the Great
Fear?
Answer(s): possible answer—After the fall of the
Bastille, people were terrified that the king would
punish them.
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
Creating a New Nation
Legislating New Rights
Restrictions on Power
• Feudal dues eliminated
• Louis tried to protect his throne
• Declaration laid out “liberty,
equality, fraternity”
• Angered the common people
• Inspired by the English Bill of
Rights, American Declaration of
Independence, and the writings
of Enlightenment philosophers
• Prices still high; mob broke into
the palace demanding bread
• Royal family seized; National
Assembly took bolder steps
• Men are born equal and remain
equal under the law
• Passed laws against the
church, clergy, and public
employees
• The rights did not extend to
women
• Some outraged by actions
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
Formation of a New Government
In 1791, the Legislative Assembly is formed. Citizens gained broad
voting rights, but rights were not universal. Constitution restricted power
of king and ended distinctions of birth. King and queen feared they
would be harmed.
Foreign Powers
End of Monarchy
• Austria and Prussia warned against
harming monarchs
• August 10, 1792 royal family
imprisoned by mob
• Austrian army defeats French
• Radical faction took charge with
National Convention
• Financial strain of war, food
shortages, and high prices
• King blamed; action demanded
• Monarchy abolished; France
declared a republic
French revolutionary troops won the Battle of Valmy. New French
republic held ground against Europe’s Old Order.
The French Revolution and Napoleon
Section 1
Sequence
What steps did National and
Legislative Assemblies take to
create a new nation?
Answer(s): National Assembly completed
constitution and created Legislative Assembly;
Legislative Assembly—created a new legislature,
the National Convention, which abolished the
monarchy and declared France a republic